RACING ROOKIE READIES FOR DREAM MINI CHALLENGE DEBUT

Scott Lear will ‘realise a dream’ when he joins the Vertu MINI CHALLENGE grid for the second round of the season this weekend at Brands Hatch.

Lear will be making his racing debut at wheel of the the Sustainable Fuel Development car that was raced at Donington Park by Hannah Chapman.

The JCW Sport-spec car will once again compete as an Invitational Class entry as the series looks to build on the work carried out at round one two weeks ago, which marked the first time that it had competed using a significant proportion of sustainable fuel.

The amount of fuel from a sustainable source will be increased throughout the year, with the series working towards the target of running on 100 per cent sustainable fuel by 2028.

With the current plan being for different guest drivers to sample the car during the season, Lear joins an expanded JCW Sport field at Brands Hatch looking to see how he measures up against the series regulars.

Although the 49-year-old – who runs a successful vehicle bodyshop – will be making his competitive debut, he is no stranger to on-track action having regularly taken part in track day activities, and recently underwent his ARDS test in order to turn his racing dream into reality.

“I think on a scale of one to ten, my excitement levels are about a 20 at the moment,” he said. “It’s been a lifelong ambition to one day compete on track and when this opportunity came along, I decided it was time to grab the bull by the horns and go for it.

“Everything has come together extremely quickly as isn’t wasn’t on the cards a week ago, and I have to say a massive thank you to all those people who have helped to make this possible; I can’t put into words how appreciative I am.

“I’m under no illusions about the fact that this is a big step to make as a rookie, and as an Invitational entry, I don’t want to get mixed up battling with people who have championships to consider. At the same time, I’m not looking to just make up the numbers and am keen to learn as much as I can and show myself what I can do.

“My goal is to compete more in the future so I can’t wait to see how I get on, and hopefully I’ll come away from the weekend wanting more!”